Apparatus for the feeding of cigarettes from cigarette producing machines to cigarette packaging machines



Feb. 17, 1970 A. SERAGNOLI 3, 5,

APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING 0E CIGARETTES FROMt C IGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES TO CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 15, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Amosro seam-mom Feb. 17, 1970 A. SERAGNQLI' 3,495,137

APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING 0F CIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES TO CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 15, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. ARIOSTO saamvmau Feb. 17, 1970 A. S'ERAGNOLI 3,495,737

APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING 0F CIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES T0 CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 13, 1967 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Feb. 17, 1970 ASISERAGNOLI 3,

APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING OFTCIGARETTES CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES TO CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 13, 1967 7, Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. WSTQ 55R Al SERAGNOLI- Feb. 17, 1970 v APPARATUS FOR. THE FEEDING QIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES T0 CIGKRE'I'TE PACKAGING MACHINES.

' 7 sheets sheet 5 Filed Nov. 13, 1967 New INVENTOR. Aims'ro Mam 970 A. SERAGNOLI 3,495,737

APPARATUS FOR THE FEE DINQOF CIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES TO CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Nov. 13. 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 WWW INVENTOR.

Feb. 17, 1970 A. smrqu APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING 0F CIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES T0 CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Nov. 15, 1967 United States Patent 3,495,737 APPARATUS FOR THE FEEDING OF CIGARETTES FROM CIGARETTE PRODUCING MACHINES TO CIGARETTE PACKAGING MACHINES Ariosto Seragnoli, Via Bellinzona 31, Bologna, Italy Filed Nov. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 681,979 Claims priority, application Italy, Nov. 16, 1966, 24,744/ 66 Int. Cl. B65h 5/00; B65g 57/00 US. Cl. 221-40 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding cigarettes directly from one or more cigarette producing machines to one or more cigarette packing or packaging machines, wherein the cigarettes are directly fed from a continuous flow of cigarettes, in movement perpendicularly to their axes, to the hopper of a machine or machines capable of assembling cigarettes according to a predetermined packaging order.

Background of the invention This invention relates the technical field concerning the transfer of cigarettes from the machine or machines which produce them to the machine or machines designed to package them according to the form of the conventional packet of cigarettes andmore precisely it concerns an apparatus for feeding cigarettes directly from one or more cigarette producing machines to one or more cigarette packing or packaging machines, more particularly for the direct feeding of the cigarettes from a continuous flow of cigarettes, in movement perpendicularly to their axes, to the hopper of a machine or machines capable of grouping cigarettes according to a pre-determined packaging order.

It is Well known that in the manufacturing industry concerning tobacco products, and more particularly cigarettes, an aspect of especial importance, in consequence above all of the achievement of high production speeds of operating machines, is that regarding the transfer of cigarettes from the machines Which produce them to the machines which group and package them according to the form of the conventional packets of cigarettes.

The practice is well known, in connection with this specific aspect of the transfer of cigarettes, of arranging the cigarettes. produced by the manufacturing machines, inside boxes, or as they are normally called transport cages, usually having a depth substantially equal to the length of the cigarettes and open on one lateral or frontal side and on the upper side. The cigarettes are accumulated in these cages in an interparallel arrangement. When such cages are filled with cigarettes almost to the level of the top they are transferred, with all the cigarettes, to the grouping and packet forming machine and are then overturned above the hopper of said grouping machine discharging the cigarettes contained in them. These operations of filling, transfer, overturning of the cages filled with cigarettes and of removal of the empty cages from the discharge position, are at present performed by means of semiautomatic or automatic mechanisms which are of extremely complicated and expensive structure and of relatively limited flexibility or feeding capacity.

In order to obviate the inconveniences caused by the use of the above mentioned complicated and expensive mechanisms which require the use of a considerable number of boxes or container cages and in order conveniently to exploit the high production speeds which are achieved by the operative machines in this particular branch of cigarette production, it has already been proposed to feed cigarettes directly from the machine or machines which 3,495,737 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 Brief summary of invention An object of ths invention, within the ambit of direct feeding of cigarettes from the producing machine or machines to the packing machine or machines, is that of providing an automatic apparatus capable of feeding the hopper of packaging machine or machines with defined quantities of cigarettes exiting from the cigarette production machine in relation to the reception and distribution capacity respectively of said operational machines.

Another object of the invention is that of providing such a machine by means of which the quantities of cigarettes to be fed to the hopper of packaging machine of machines are automatically removed from a flow of cigarettes proceeding, with continuous movement in direction perpendicular to their axes, from the exit or exits of one or more cigarette producing machines and deposited inside said hopper of packaging machine or machines.

Another object of this invention is that of providing such an apparatus by means of which the deposit, inside the hopper of packaging machine or machines, of the quantities of cigarettes removed from the continuous flow of cigarettes is controlled by the quantity of cigarettes present inside said hopper in manner such as to permit the deposit of the fed cigarettes in an ordered way, that is all parallel between each other.

Another object of this invention is that of providing such an apparatus capable of working according to high feeding speeds.

Another object of this invention is that of providing such an apparatus capable of achieving all the preceding paratus of this invention for the direct feeding of cigarettes from one or more cigarette producing machines to one or more cigarette packing or packaging machines, more particularly for the direct feeding from a continuous flow of cigarettes in movement perpendicularly to their axes, to the hopper of a machine or machines capable of grouping cigarettes according to a predetermined packing order, which apparatus is characterized in that it essentially comprises a pair of support member means of elongated shape supported parallel to each other and horizontally in side-by-side relationship above said hopper and in the path of said flow of cigarettes in mutually approachable and spaceable manner respectively in a transverse sense, conveyer means in the form of a vertically sliding carriage and provided with a pair of support members extending parallel to each other and horizontally in side-by side relationship in mutually approachable and spaceable manner respectively in transversal sense underneath said pair of support member means of elongated shape, first control means capable of actuating said carriage conveyer means according to a vertical reciprocal movement in manner such as to carry said pair of support members inside said hopper in parallel proximity to said pair of support means of elongated shape and towards the base of said hopper, interception means controlled in synchronism with the vertical reciprocal movements of the carriage conveyer means in manner such. as to intercept the flow of cigarettes towards the said pair of support means of elongated shape during the approaehment phase of the said pair of support members to the said pair of support means of elongated shape, second control means capable of being actuated in synchronism with said interception means in manner such as to control the mutual spacing and approach of the pair of support member means of extended shape in phase with the interception and non-interception positions of said interception means, and third control means capable of governing the said actuation means of the carriage conveyer means and of controlling the movements of mutual spacing and :approach of the pair of support members associated with said carriage conveyer means, said third control means scanning the level of cigarettes existing inside the said hopper and being responsive to the position of said level.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages will be better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; illustrated by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 1a: show, when placed side-by-side from left to right respectively, the apparatus in perspective view with some parts removed and sectioned in order better to indicate other parts;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show, in enlarged scale, the lateral parts of the upper end of said apparatus, in frontal fore view;

FIG. 4 shows the parts indicated in FIG. 2 seen laterally in the direction of the arrow A indicated in said FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows the parts indicated in FIG. 3 according to a section produced along the plane passing through the line B-B indicated in said FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 shows the electro-mechanical diagram of the working principle of the apparatus.

Description of the preferred embodiment With reference' to the drawings, placing FIGS. 1 and 1a in side-by-side relationship as above indicated, it is noticed that, above a conventional hopper 1, carried by the base 2 of a grouping and packet forming or packing machine for cigarettes, a hopper 3 is positioned and is laterally fixed on uprights 4 and 5 secured in their lower sections to the said base 2. A framework 6 is also secured to said base 2.

The said upright 4 extends above said framework 6 (see also FIGS. 2 and 3) so as to support at its upper end a member 7 formed by lateral cigarettes guiding and containing walls which extend horizontally towards and beyond said upright 5 which terminates in a horizontal section 5A vertically inside and underneath said cigarettes guiding and containing member 7.

On the upper horizontal edges of the hopper 3 lay the frontal fore and rear walls 8 and 9 respectively between which the said uprights 4 and 5 are arranged. The said frontal fore wall is secured to framework 6 by means of the connection members 10, while the said frontal rear wall 9 is connected in its upper section to the said framework 6 and in its lower section to support members 11 carried by the said base 2.

A shaft 13 is supported by means of support members 12 (see FIG. 4) on the left flank (looking at FIGURES 1 and 1a) of the said framework 6. On said shaft 13 a pulley 14 is rigidly mounted. Wound about pulley 14 is an endless driving belt 15, which is also wound about the pulley 16 rigidly mounted on the shaft of an electric control motor 17 secured to said flank of the framework 6. Said shaft 13 terminates, at its opposite ends, in toothed sections 13A which engage, in sliding manner, through corresponding toothed sections, with a respective pulley 18. Said pulleys 18 are carried, so as to be free to revolve, by a corresponding support arm 19 supported by the said flank of the framework 6 in manner such as to be able to oscillate about a shaft 20. Said oscillating support arms are provided, at their upper ends, with a respective prominence 19A in which a corresponding transmission roller 21 is idly engaged, and at their lower ends, with a prominence 19B extending inside the framework 6 through a corresponding slit or hole 22 provided in the flank of said framework (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

Said prominences 19B terminate at their free ends with a respective idle roller 23.

On each pulley 18 a belt is wound, transmitted by a corresponding roller 21 in manner such that the branches of the belt extend horizontally below the cigarettes guiding and containing member 7, to beyond the opposite wall of the said framework 6 and laterally to the member 5a of the upright 5, where they wind in endless belt manner around analogous pulleys 18, with corresponding rollers, with corresponding transmission rollers 21, associated to respective support arms 19 supported in oscillating manner by said latter wall of the framework 6.

In this manner a pair of conveyer belts are formed arranged parallel to between each other in symmetrical position with respect to the vertical frontal median plane of the column formed by the hoppers 1 and 3, by the space between the frontal vertical fore and rear walls 8 and 9 and by the cigarettes and containing member 7. Said pair of conveyer belts may be mutually approached or spaced apart perpendicularly to said median plane as will be seen in more detail in the following. The oscillating support arms 19 forming each pair are connected between each other by means of return springs 25, while the arms which are associated to the pulleys 18 of a single belt 24 may be connected between each other to form a single rigid oscillating structure.

In alignment with the belts 24 feeding belts 26 are provided wound as endless belts about pulleys 27, revolvingly supported by the uprights 28 carried by the support plate 29 secured to the framework 6. On the shaft of said pulleys 27 is mounted a driving belt 31, wound in endless belt manner on the pulley 32, transmitting the movement to a pair of pulleys 33 supported by the said uprights 28. On each of said pulleys 33, a belt 34 is wound, extending horizontally above said cigarettes guiding and containing member 7 and wound, in endless belt manner, on a corresponding pulley 35, carried so as to be free to revolve by a support member 36 secured to the extension 6A of the framework 6. To the support members 11 is associated, in manner such as to be free to revolve, an end of a corresponding screw 37, extending vertically upwards, so as to be associated at its other end to the upper wall of the framework (see FIG. 5). On the bottom free end of each of said screws 37, an inclined tooth gear 38 is rigidly mounted, said gear being in mesh with a corresponding inclined-tooth gear 39 rigidly mounted on a horizontal shaft 40, revolvingly supported by support members 41 secured to the base 2 of the machine. At an end of said horizontal shaft 40 is rigidly mounted a pulley 42 for a drive belt 43 wound in endless belt manner on a pulley 44. Said pulley 44 is rigidly mounted on the shaft of an electric control motor 45 secured to the said base 2 of the machine.

A mobile equipment is mounted on said screws 37 in manner such as to be able to slide vertically from top to bottom, as will better be seen hereinafter. Said mobile equipment comprising a member 46 of carriage form with lateral sides extending externally to the sides of the uprights 4 and 5. On each of said lateral sides of said carriage member 46 two toothed sectors 47 are revolvingly mounted (see FIG. 5). Said toothed sectors are m mesh between each other and a corresponding toothed pinion 48 respectively. Each of said pinions 48 is rigidly mounted on a respective shaft 49 extending horizontally from one lateral side to the other of said carriage member 46, between the uprights 4, 5 and frontal fore and rear walls 8 and 9 respectively.

To each of said horizontal shafts 49 a respective striplike member 50 is associated, while one of the toothed sectors 47 of each pair is provided with a prominence 47A, to which, through a pin-slot combination the moving element or core of an electro-magnet 51 is connected, said electro-magnet being carried by the same lateral sides of the carriage member 46. The toothed sectors 47 of each pair are moreover constrained between each other by means of a corresponding return spring 52. A vertical member 53 is moreover secured to the said lateral sides of the carriage member 46; said vertical member being designed to be inserted between the idle rollers 23 in manner such as to cause the associated support members 19 to oscillate against the action of the corresponding return spring 25 as will better be seen hereinafter. A fork-like member 54 is associated to the vertical member 53 which is in the region of the pair of conveyor feed belts 26. Said fork-like member 54 extends upwards, between the pairs of chains 24 and 34, when the carriage member 46 is in its upper position, so as to \intercept the cigarettes being fed on the pair of conveyor belts 26 as will better be seen hereinafter. The members of a photoelectric sensitive complex are also mounted on the lateral sides of the said carriage member 46 and these will better be described in the following with reference to FIG. 6.

As mentioned above FIG. 6 shows the electromechanical diagram of the working principle of the above described apparatus with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In said electro-mechanical diagram the hoppers 1 and 3, the uprights 4 and 5, the carriage member 46 sliding on the vertical screws 37, and all the electro-working parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 including the said photoelectric sensitive complex are all diagrammatically shown.

Said photoelectric sensitive complex comprises a group 55 of known type formed of a lamp with a device for projecting a luminous ray towards a photocell 55A arranged in manner such as to be struck by the luminous ray when, as will be seen hereinafter, the cigarettes fed to the hopper 3 are at a level lower than the level of a said luminous ray 56. The photoelectric sensitive complex comprises, furthermore, an amplifier device 57, of which are shown two microcontacts 58 and 59 normally closed and open respectively and movable from a position 1-2 to the position 1-3. Said amplifier device 57 is connected with a microsw-itch 60 having two contacts, movable from a closure position 1-3 and 2-5 to an open position 1-4 and 2-6 respectively. Said microswitch 60 is in t-urn connected to a member 61 which, by means of suitable manual positioning thereof, may pre-condition the apparatus for operation and non-operation.

Also shown in said FIG. 6 are the magnetic starters with overload and undervoltage protection 62 and 63, an electric transformer 64 with an output of 24 v., a pushbutton panel 65, comprising two contacts 66 and 67, nor mally open for the manual starting of the apparatus and normally closed for the stopping, also manual, of the apparatus respectively, and a microswitch 68 with two contacts 69 and 70, normally closed and normally open respectively. The electromagnet 51 comprises a pair of contacts, normally open, while the magnetic starters 62 and 63 each have five pairs of contacts, of which the pair 1-6 is normally closed and the other pairs are normally open. The pairs of contacts 2-7 of said magnetic starters 62 and 63 are self-excitation contact pairs for the said magnetic starters.

The manner of causing the working of the above described apparatus and the working of the apparatus itself occur in the following way:

With the starting of the electric motor 17 carried out in a manner not shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings, by means of the drive belt and the pulley 14, the conveyer belts 24 are actuated, with continuous movement, in manner such that their upper branches are displaced in the direction of the arrow f1. Also manner in which the continuous movement is imparted to the upper branches of the pairs of conveyer feed belts 26 is not shown in said figures because it may be derived from the cigarette production machine or machines. Said upper branches of the belts 26 are moved in. the direction of the arrow f1 and therefore, as seen previously, the lower branches of the pair of belts 34 are moved, by means of the conveyer belt 31 in the direction of the arrow f2. With the pairs of belts in continuous movement in the said manner, the apparatus is then conditioned for automatic working by acting on the pro-conditioning member 61 so as to carry the contacts 1-3 and 2-5 of the microswitch 60 into the closed position. At this point the pushbutton of the contact 66 associated to the push-button panel 65 is operated so as to close its contacts 1-2.

Suppose that in the meantime the pair of feed belts 26 has caused a certain quantity of cigarettes, arranged parallel to each other and with their shafts perpendicular to the direction of advancement, to flow on the pair of belts 24, between the lateral walls of the guiding and containing member 7, and that the vertically movable carriage 46 has arrived as better seen hereinafter, in the maximum position of its upward stroke carrying the fork member 54 into the interception position of the flow of cigarettes, as seen in FIGS. 1, la, 3 and 5.

With the closure of the circuit operated by the actuation of the contact 66, the magnetic starter 62 is excited, by means of the contact pair 1-6 normally closed of the magnetic starter 63. Said magnetic starter 62 thus closes its contacts and remains self-excited by means of its contact pair 2-7, the normally closed contact 58 of the amplifier device 57 associated to the photoelectric sensitive complex, and the normally closed contact 67 of the pushbutton panel 65 for manual stopping of the apparatus. With the excitation, and in consequence the self-excitation of the magnetic starter 62, the closure of the contact pairs 3-8, 4-9 and 5-10 of said magnetic starter 62 occurs, causing the electric motor 45 to be put in motion. Said electric motor 45, by means of drive belt 43, actuates the shaft 40 which, through the pairs of inclined tooth gears 38, 39 causes the screws 37 to rotate in manner such as to displace the carriage 46 from its above indicated position (at the top of its upward stroke) downwards in the direction of the arrow f3.

With the downward displacement of said carriage 46, the cigarettes on the feed belts 26, previously intercepted by the fork member 54, can flow inside the guide and containing member 7, and are there transported by the pair of conveyer belts 24 which accumulate and retain them in parallel relationship to each other in combination with the movement of the pair of belts 34 and with the upper wall of said guiding and containing member 7. When, during the downward movement of the carriage 46, the luminous ray 56 of the photoelectric sensitive complex is intercepted by the level of cigarettes existing in the hoppers 1, 3 and between the walls 8, 9 the contact pairs 58 and 59 of the amplifier device 57 associated to said photoelectric complex switch over from their position 1-2 of closure and opening respectively to the position 1-3 of opening and closing respectively. The opening of the contact 58 causes the fall of potential of the magnetic starter 62 and consequently the stopping of the motor 45 and then also of the carriage 46; while the closure of the contact 59 causes the excitation of the electromagnet 51 which remains excited while the luminous rav 56 is interrupted. The excitation of the electro-magnet 51 causes, by the isolation of its core, the rotation of the toothed sectors 47 and thus of shafts 49 with associated strip-like members 50 in the direction of the arrow f4, in manner such as to discharge the layer of cigarettes, laying on said listels 50 and previously taken by said above arranged pair of belts 24, on the lower cigarettes, as will be better explained hereinafter.

With the excitation of the electromagnet 51 the closure occurs of the associated contact pair so that through the normally closed contact pair 1-6 of the de-energized magnetic starter 62 as seen previously the magnetic starter 63 is energized. The said magnetic starter 63 thus closes its contacts and remains self-excited by means of its contact pair 27 and the normally closed contact 69 of the microswitch 68. By means of the excitation and consequent self-excitation of the magnetic starter 63 the closure of its contact pairs 3-8, 49 and 510 occurs. This closure causes the electric motor 45 to be put in motion with an opposite direction of rotation to that previously mentioned, and thus, still by means of the conveyer belt 43, the shaft 40 and the pairs of inclined tooth gears 38 and 39, the actuation of the upward movement of the carriage 46 which thus gives up the layer of cigarettes carried towards the bottom. During this upward return stroke of the carriage 46, following the by-passing of the layer of abandoned cigarettes the restoration of the luminous ray 56 occurs. Consequently the contacts 58 and 59 return to their position 12 respectively arranging the apparatus for successive automatic working and respectively de-energizing the electromagnet 51 so as to allow, under the action of the return spring 52, the strip-like members 50 to return to their initial support position. The carriage 46 continues in its upward stroke and performs first, by means of the fork 54, the interception of the flow of cigarettes from the feed belts .26 towards the conveyer belts 24 and then, by means of the vertical member 53, acts on the actuation push-button of the microswitch 68 closing the contact 70 and the opening of the contact 69. The opening of the contact 69 causes the de-energization of the magnetic starter 63 and thus the halting of the electric motor 45 and the carriage 46. Said member 53 then enters between the idle rollers 23 of the projection 19B relative to the pairs of arms 19, imparting to these latter, against the action of the relative return springs 25, an oscillation so as to space said conveyer belts 24 apart. The conveyer belts 24 thus allow the layer of cigarettes collected within the guiding and containing member 7 to fall on the underneath strip-like members 50.

With the said closure of the contact 70 the energization of the magnetic starter 62 occurs through the normally closed contact pair 1-6 of the previously tie-energized magnetic starter 63. Consequently, as seen previously, the starting of the motor 45 occurs in a manner such as to cause the carriage 46 to descend repeating the previously described phases for transport ing the layer of taken cigarettes in the lower discharge position.

With such an apparatus the considerable advantage is obtained of directly feeding the hopper of packing or packaging machines with a continuous flow of cigarettes coming from the exit of a cigarette producing machine.

Said continuous flow of cigarettes is in fact conveyed inside a guiding and containing member, the cigarettes always being maintained in an inter-parallel relationship. From there the cigarettes are automatically removed in determined successive quantities and transported to the most convenient discharge point inside the hopper, since such discharge point is determined by the level of cigarettes existing inside said hopper.

In this manner the cigarettes are fed always maintaining them in side-by-side and parallel relationship with each other.

Besides the technical advantage derived from the use of the apparatus according to the invention there is an economic advantage since all the well known assemblies and expensive mechanisms at present used in this class of work may be replaced. The technical advantage provided by the above described apparatus is moreover qualitative, due to the fact that' during the entire transit of the cigarettes from exit of the machine or machines which produce them to the discharge point in the hopper or hoppers of packaging machine or machines they are subjected to limited pressures which do not even slightly deform their original form. Furthermore during this transit the cigarettes are not subjected to any rolling movement, in consequence of which, as is known, the

cigarettes sulfer inevitable losses of tobacco with consequent diminution of the well known and esteemed stand ards of quality.

The elimination of the said inconveniences permits,

' moreover, a more regular working of the machines in question, since it is known that cigarettes having a structural shape below a certain pre-established standard of quality, must usually be discharged causing, amongst other things, the discontinuous working of the said machines which, even if actuated in automatic manner, involves however a loss of production time and sometimes also considerable stopping periods of the said machines.

Furthermore it is obvious that this results in the loss of the material being worked.

The said embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention has been described only by way of example and it is obvious to anybody skilled in the art that in practice numerous modifications and variations are possible.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the direct feeding of cigarettes from at least one cigarette producing machine to at least one packing machine for the cigarettes essentially comprising a pair of support member means of elongated shape supported substantially parallel to each other and in horizontally side-by-side relationship above a feedhopper and in the path of flow of cigarettes in mutually approachable and spaceable manner respectively in a transverse sense, conveyer means in the form of a vertically sliding carriage and provided with a pair of support members extending substantially parallel to each other and horizontally in side-by-side relationship in mutually approachable and spaceable manner respectively in transversal sense underneath said pair of support member means of elongated shape, first control means capable of actuating said carriage conveyer means according to vertical reciprocal movements in manner such as to carry said pair of support members inside said feed-hopper in parallel proximity to said pair of support means of elongated shape and towards the base of said feed-hopper, interception means controlled in synchronism with the vertical reciprocal movements of the carriage conveyer means in manner such as to intercept the flow of cigarettes towards the said pair of support means of elongated shape during the approachment phase of the said pair of support members to the said pair of support means of elongated shape, second control means capable of being actuated in synchronism with said interception means in manner such as to control the mutual spacing and approach of the pair of support member means of elongated shape in phase with the interception and non-interception positions of said interception means, and third control means capable of governing the said actuation means of the carriage conveyer means and of controlling the movements of mutual spacing and approach of the pair of support members, associated with said carriage conveyer means, said third control means scanning the level of cigarettes existing inside the said feed-hopper, and being responsive to the position of said level.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said third control means include manually actuated switch and sensitive action control means responsive to the level of cigarettes present inside the feed-hopper.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the said support means of elongated shape comprise endless conveyer members.

4. An apparatus for the direct feeding of a continuous flow of cigarettes in movement perpendicular to their axes, to the feed hopper of at least one machine capable of grouping cigarettes according to a pre-determined packaging order essentially comprising a pair of endless conveyer member means supported parallelly and horizontally in side-by-side relationship above the feed-hopper and in the path of the flow of cigarettes in manner such as to be mutually approachable and spaceable in transversal sense, conveyer means in the form of a vertically sliding carriage and provided with a pair of support members extending parallelly and horizontally in side-by-side relationship in mutually approachable and spaceable manner respectively in transversal sense underneath of and parallelly to said pair of endless conveyer member means, driving means capable of actuating said carriage means according to vertical reciprocal movements, sensitive control means associated to the said carriage means and capable of being actuated at the achievement of the level of cigarettes existing in said feed hopper in manner such as to cause said actuating driving means to stop said carriage means and to control actuation means of the pair of support members associated to said carriage means in manner such as to mutually space said support members inside the feed hopper, first control means capable of being actuated in synchronism with said sensitive control means and said actuation means in manner such as to cause said driving means to actuate said carriage means with movement opposite to that preceding said' stop, interception means capable of operating with the latter movement of said carriage so as to intercept the fiow of cigarettes towards the said pair of conveyer means, second control means capable of being actuated in synchronism with said interception means so as to cause the mutual spacing and approachment of the said conveyor means in phase with the positions of interception and noninterception respectively of the interception means, and third control means capable of being actuated in phase with said position of interception by said interception 10 means in manner such as to cause the said driving means to stop the carriage means and in phase with said position of mutual spacing of said conveyer member means in manner such as to cause the driving means to actuate said carriage means with movement opposite to that preceding the latter stop.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said interception means and said second control means are associated to the said carriage means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said interception means and second control means associated to the carriage means are comprised of checking members.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said checking members are capable of operating between the pair of endless conveyor means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,618,421 11/1952 Basus 221-93 X 2,634,852 4/1953 Clauss 214-6 2,894,648 7/1959 Musse'tt 214-6 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application No. 108,145, May 31, 1961, Woodcock.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R, 

